Little Red Riding Hood

Review of The Wolf Gate by Hanna Sandvig

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Synopsis:
My…what big teeth you have…

Have you ever wondered if something was up with your boyfriend? Distant. Moody. Never texts you back. Turns into a wolf at nightfall?

No, just me?

When a wolf chased me through a faerie portal in the forest, the last person I expected to see on the other side was my ex-boyfriend Gavin. Turns out, he’s a fae, and everything I thought I knew about him was a lie. Now we’re on the run from his Alpha, the minion of the Unseelie Queen, through the mountains and forests of Faerie.

But our deadly pursuers may be the least of my worries.

Because the longer I stay in Faerie with Gavin, the harder it is to remember why I’m so mad. I can feel my defenses crumbling, but how can I give him another chance when he’s proven he can break my heart? Am I strong enough to discover if this is true love? And will I survive long enough to find out?

**This action packed sweet romance is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and is a stand-alone novella in the Faerie Tale Romances series. If you love fae, shifters, fairy-tale magic, and believe in second chances at love, dive into The Wolf Gate now!**

Review:
I quite enjoyed this story, and find the tie together of the human world and the fae expertly done/continued by Sandvig. Audrey is relatable and so it the situation she finds herself in with a boy.

I really liked Audrey, and I’m glad that she used her skills to adjust and make a stand in a faerie tale world she didn’t know of, but I do not like, at all, the ending we are given. Perhaps there will be more to come in the following book, but after how strong and amazing the ending of The Rose Gate the end of this was lackluster seemed to just fall into the same realm of most other fairy tales; any thoughts, plans, and dreams can be put on hold for a relationship! Though the reason for her need to help is a good one, there really wasn’t any idea/plan stated on going back to what she had originally wanted/planned for.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Wolves and Paths by Holly Hook

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Synopsis (from Amazon):
Red only knows life under her oppressive grandmother. She can’t even go on trips, participate in Halloween, or eat meat. Come on! She’s almost an adult! And rebellion just makes her worse.

So against her judgment, Red sneaks off with her boyfriend to Disney World. It could be worse, right? But maybe her grandmother was onto something because the trip lands them all in another world: Fable, where fairy tales are real and things go bump in the night. And now her grandmother is captured by an evil wizard named Alric.

Now Red is center stage in a tale she must complete to save her grandmother. But Alric is determined to rule Fable by making all the famous fairy tales fall—and Red is his first target. It’s time for Red to break her chains and face her fears. But she’s soon to learn that even the most famous fairy tales are not always what they seem…

Review:
This was a very interesting twist on Little Red Riding Hood, while incorporating a bit of the original fairy tale’s parental failing. In the original, Red is allowed to wander in the forest, not protected from things that could potentially hurt her, warnings given but without reason. In that regard, this story is the same, that Red is not given reasons for what she must do, and because of that, she rebels. The lesson that seems to blare from both versions of the story, the original and this, is that without knowing the logic behind WHY, most will go off and do whatever seems fun/like a good idea at the time… even though it might (usually) cause trouble.

Red is refreshing and not at all just a damsel in distress. Her loyalty runs deep and her feelings make her a quite relatable character. I loved this version of Red Riding Hood, and while I have read books with a similar twist, this one was done quite in depth considering all of Red’s grandmother’s rules.

Star Rating: 

Review of Taming Red Riding Hood by Lidiya Foxglove

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Taming Red Riding Hood
Fairy Tale Heat 8
By Lidiya Foxglove

Star Rating: 
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling, Romance
Number of Pages: 164
Winter 2018

Synopsis: (From Amazon) 
I finally have a home, reunited with my human father. He’s well-to-do, with a pretty wife and a grand house, and the moment I step in the door, I’m expected to begin lessons in reading, writing, and behaving like a lady.

But I’m no lady. I’m a wolf.

And much to my surprise, so is my tutor. Mr. Arrowen has a human name and human manners, but golden eyes don’t lie. He’s wolvenfolk, to be sure, pretending to be a proper gentleman. Wolves know their mates right away, and I can’t deny the attraction I feel—but somehow, he can, and he does. He doesn’t want to risk his reputation, especially when wolves have been killed over less than laying a hand on a wealthy girl. My family would like to see me marry my distant cousin Patrick.

Patrick is as handsome as Mr. Arrowen, but he’s a hunter. He has his sights on the most wanted creature in the kingdom: the white wolf accused of killing a sacred stag. Patrick wants my help to track him and claim the reward. I yearn to run through the woods, but my father would never let me—unless I pay a visit to my grandmother’s cottage. But do I want to hunt one of my own kind, even if he is a criminal? And what if he isn’t a criminal at all, but someone all too familiar…?

Taming Red Riding Hood is a standalone fairy tale retelling for those who like an unabashedly adorable happily ever after with serious steaminess! Although it is definitely standalone, it doesn’t hurt to read The Beggar Princess before this one.

Review:
Imagine being born into two cultures but only raised in one. After a tragedy and a few years of hard labor our heroine finds herself trying to fit into her father’s world, which becomes more and more difficult when she finds her wolf instincts taking her over. Through the steamy wolf mating season to the mystery of her tutor, you can’t help but want her to find a way to coexist with her father’s world.

If you like steamy fairy tale romance, this is another Foxglove book not to be missed.

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
Lidiya Foxglove likes her fairy tales to be very naughty indeed. She grew up on a steady diet of fairy tales, folklore and fantasy and loves the swoon-worthy romance and happily ever afters, but thinks the best fairy tales also have the thrill of forbidden desires. If she’s not writing, she’s probably reading. Come hang out with her on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/Lidiya-Foxglove-1702249670069437/
Contact: lidiyafoxglove@lidiyafoxglove.com

Review of The Princess Fugitive: A Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood by Melanie Cellier

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The Princess Fugitive: A Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood
The Four Kingdoms Book 2
By Melanie Cellier

Star Rating: 
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling
Number of Pages: 345

Date Started: December 18, 2017
Date Finished: December 20, 2017

Synopsis: (From Amazon)
Princess Ava used to be a weapon – sharp, strong and beautiful. But when she fails at her most important task, she’s forced to flee from her own family.

Only her personal bodyguard, Hans, remains loyal. Hans claims to know the real Ava but she finds that hard to believe – after all, she’s been the villain so long that she can’t remember anything else.

Deep in exile, Ava learns her kingdom needs a hero and she might be the only one who can save it. The catch? She’ll have to ally herself with the very people she blames for her downfall.

But in a game of life and death where the stakes are an entire kingdom, winning over her enemies will only be the beginning. Can one fugitive save her people, her kingdom and, hardest of all, herself?

In this reimagining of the classic fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood, the girl in the red hood has been swallowed up by the wolf and must decide if she’s willing to fight for her freedom, no matter the cost.

Review:
I was apprehensive when I started this book. I wasn’t sure there was anything that would make me care about Ava and want her to succeed. I was happy to find that I was wrong. Cellier does a great job of going into the motivations of why people do things, and how change can only happen if the person who is going to change WANTS things to be different.

I had been curious about Hans and Ava’s relationship after how he dragged her away in The Princess Companion, so I was happy to see more of their interactions. I also enjoyed how characters from the first book in the series became important in this one, and that there was a deeper glimpse of the lives of secondary characters and what happened to them in the time between The Princess Companion and The Princess Fugitive.

I did like how the red cloak and wolf played into the story, it was quite well done. The symbolism wasn’t lost, either. There were certainly enough of the classic story elements within this retelling, but this story is far from anything a lover of the original fairy tale knows.

As I write this review, I’m already reading book 3 in The Four Kingdoms series.

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
Melanie Cellier grew up on a staple diet of books, books and more books. And although she got older she never stopped loving children’s and young adult novels. She always wanted to write one herself but it took three careers and three different continents before she actually managed it.

She now feels incredibly fortunate to spend her time writing from her home in Canberra, Australia where they don’t have a beach but they do have kangaroos hopping down the streets. Her staple diet hasn’t changed much, although she’s added choc mint Rooibos tea and Chicken Crimpies to the list.

She is currently working on The Four Kingdoms, a series of young adult fairy tale retellings.

Visit Melanie at her website: http://www.melaniecellier.com or follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Melanie-Cellier-689002674569364/ for all the latest news on The Princess Companion and other upcoming Four Kingdoms stories.

Review of Red and the Wolf: An Adult Fairytale Romance by Vivienne Savage

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Red and the Wolf: An Adult Fairytale Romance
Once Upon a Spell book 2
By Vivienne Savage

Star Rating:  
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling/Fantasy/Romance
Number of Pages: 284

Date Started: December 13, 2017
Date Finished: December 13, 2017

Synopsis: (From Amazon)
Sorcha knows every inch of the forest, but a spontaneous visit to her grandmother thrusts her into the middle of a brutal conflict between shifters and an unknown force in the woodlands.

As the alpha of Clan TalWolthe, Conall is obligated to protect his fellow wolves at all costs–even if it means his life. After the pack lands in the crosshairs of a huntsman with a grudge, Conall encounters a red-cloaked beauty who may hold the key to defeating an ancient evil menacing their land.

Red and the Wolf is a fairy tale retold for an adult audience and improper for anyone below the age of 18. Readers who enjoy strong heroines, caring alphas, detailed world building, and out-of-this-world adventure will be hooked.

Perfect for readers of Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Action and Adventure, Sword and Sorcery, and Shifter Romance.

Review:
Oh my goodness, this book draws the reader in from the beginning and leaves you enthralled until the end. This isn’t your typical Red Riding Hood tale, but one with lots of twists and turns, and some very nice romance.

Red is a capable heroine who isn’t going to step back and let others do a job for her, which is admirable. While she is a bit more naive than the typical capable heroine, the explanation of her being coddled made sense, and it made some exchanges between she and Conall even more enjoyable.

While it is a romance novel, the romance adds to the story, and the plot is solid even without it.

This one was hard to set down. I definitely recommend it! Can’t wait to read book 3 in the series!

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
Vivienne Savage is a resident of a small town in rural Texas. While she isn’t writing fantasy or concocting ways for shapeshifters and humans to find their match, she raises two children and works as a nurse in a rural retirement home.

All works by Vivienne range from urban fantasy and sweet adult romance to spicy shifter fiction with an erotic kick. Visit her site to determine which series is best for you!

Official Site: viviennesavage.com
Facebook: facebook.com/savage.books
Twitter: twitter.com/msvsavage
Instagram: instagram.com/msvsavage
Email: vivi@viviennesavage.com

Review of Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde

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Cloaked in Red
By Vivian Vande Velde

Star Rating: 
Genre: Young Adult, Young People
Number of Pages: 128
Date Started: April 21, 2017
Date Finished: April 25, 2017

Synopsis: (From Amazon)
So you think you know the story of Little Red Riding Hood, the girl with the unfortunate name and the inability to tell the difference between her grandmother and a member of a different species? Well, then, try your hand at answering these questions: Which character (not including Little Red herself) is the most fashion challenged? Who (not including the wolf) is the scariest? Who (not including Granny) is the most easily scared? Who is the strangest (notice we’re not “not including” anyone, because they’re all a little off.)? Who (no fair saying “the author”) has stuffing for brains? Master storyteller Vivian Vande Velde crafts eight new stories involving one of the world’s most beloved (and mixed-up) characters in literature. You may never look at fairy tales in quite the same way again.

Review:
Firstly, I could have sworn I had read something by this author before, which was part of why I was so excited to pick this up, and yet looking through the author’s list of published works, I hadn’t seen one that I have previously read. That being said, this book was a quick, fun read of small Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale retellings.

I loved that each story had its own little moral. My favourites were probably The Red Cloak, which is the first story, Little Red Riding Hood’s Family, Deems the Wood Gatherer, and Why Willy and His Brother Won’t Ever Amount to Anything. There are 8 stories total in the book.

The Red Cloak was my absolute favourite, in which our main character, Meg, has personality and intelligence, even if she is at that age where she is just beginning to mature. She acts responsibly, and admirably, and by the end learns that although her parents might not act as wise as she wises, they still might know a thing or two.

Little Red Riding Hood’s Family showcases a rather childish couple, and their very interesting matriarch. Deems the Wood Gatherer features many stories mashed together, with an oblivious and amusing main character. Why Willy and His Brother Won’t Ever Amount to Anything is amusing due to the sheer meta nature that one realizes at the end.

All in all, if you have Prime Reading and like fairy tales– go for it!

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
There is nothing listed about this author on Amazon, so I suppose one could picture her however they wish.